Quality education involves international exposure and experience. That was amply highlighted by Manipal Academy of Higher Education said Dr. H S Ballal, pro-chancellor, while releasing the 155th publication of Manipal Universal Press (MUP), on Friday.
The publication titled, Internationalisation of Higher Education: The Dynamics of Educational Ecology is jointly edited by Dr. H Vinod Bhat, vice-chancellor, MAHE and Neeta Inamdar, head of the Manipal Centre for European Studies and the chief editor of MUP.
The book is a reflection of ideas on the role of internationalization in education. Dr. Ballal while emphasizing on the role of universities in contributing to the growth of nation spoke of some of the initiatives by MAHE in that direction. “The exchange programs, the twinning programs, student mobility, and others ensured that the University is on the right track to internationalization,” Dr. Ballal said.
He added; “The recent International Day, ‘Kairos’, organized by the university’s international office with students from about 58 countries participating reflects the positive approach to the efforts on internationalization”.
Dr. Bhat provided a broader understanding of internationalization in the context of higher education in his speech. He described how internationalization of higher education transcends the economic and academic motives and attains a greater objective of forging bonds of trust and knowledge among diverse communities.
Dr. Bhat mentioned that the true architect of internationalization in Manipal was Dr. TMA Pai. “The strong foundations were laid when Manipal branched out with campuses in Nepal, Malaysia, UAE, and Antigua,” he said and announced that MAHE would develop a think tank Centre for Education Research, which would not only study quantitative but also qualitative impacts of internationalization.
Neeta Inamdar explained how the book explored the notion of internationalization beyond the frameworks of mobility, ranking, and funding. It has chapters by 18 authors including seven international scholars, exponents of internationalization, and it deals with themes such as visions, practices, and experiences of internationalization
She said that the Jean Monnet Project funded by the EU and this book are a result of the various academic exchanges with European universities and MAHE.
